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Ananth Gite, Anandrao Adsul and Rajkumar Dhoot,senior members of parliament from Shiv Sena, have joined the race to get a Cabinet berth in the Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
Sources say Gite, Dhoot and Adsul are keen to join the Modi government and have received support from Shiv Sena head Uddhav Thackerey.
The Shiv Sena members may be offered either power or heavy industries ministries. Former power minister Suresh Prabhu is also in the race, a source said.
Dhoot was earlier offered a similar position in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government but he declined citing business engagements.
With this, Dhoot will be one of the few India Inc leaders who shifted from the world of business to politics and then made it to a senior minister in the government of India. Dhoot, a third term MP from Maharashtra, was first elected in 2002 and then re-elected in May 2008.
As president of Assocham last year, Dhoot managed to make friends across the political and business spectrum. Apart from Dhoot, Gopinath Munde and Suresh Prabhu are also likely to get Cabinet berths from Maharashtra.
Dhoot made news when he participated in an extensive campaign by Shiv Sena to supply water in tankers to drought hit areas in Marathwada for two months last year. As a member of Corporate India, insiders say, Dhoot understands the problems of Indian companies very well and take it up with the right authorities.
